Substitute for Condensed Chicken Broth?

[jennyema]

Oh. Yeah. I haven't used Campbell's broths for many years, so I stand corrected.

[gem4077]

I am making Pastitsio for the first time. The condensed broth is added to the Bechemel sauce. I looked for it at Stop & Shop yesterday, but they didn't have it. I checked several of my cookbooks later on and found several recipies that don't require adding any type of broth. So I think I'll omit it. I have to admit that until now I had never heard of condensed broth. But I do want to say thank you to everyone who replied. I really appreciate it.

[Andy M.]

You can always buy regular broth and boil it down to half strength. Viola! Condensed broth.

If you don't mind the salt, use bouillion cubes or granules and double strength.

[gem4077]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

You can always buy regular broth and boil it down to half strength. Viola! Condensed broth.

If you don't mind the salt, use bouillion cubes or granules and double strength.

Thank you for the suggestion. I'll definitely consider it. I have found low-salt chicken and beef bouillion granules and cubes (and even vegetable).

[*amy*]

Originally Posted by gem4077

I am making Pastitsio for the first time. The condensed broth is added to the Bechemel sauce. I looked for it at Stop & Shop yesterday, but they didn't have it. I checked several of my cookbooks later on and found several recipies that don't require adding any type of broth. So I think I'll omit it. I have to admit that until now I had never heard of condensed broth. But I do want to say thank you to everyone who replied. I really appreciate it.

I've used Swanson's. The numbers are low, but there's still lots of salt, IMO. You can check out the nutritional value on their site. Re the Pastitsio, I've never used broth. I make the white sauce & add nutmeg. You've got the pasta, and either ground beef or lamb (fat) in there, & depending on your recipe - if you are using canned tomatoes/paste/sauce, there may be lots of salt there as well -- all of which do not make a 'diet' dish. You could take the numbers down & do a complete recipe makeover - low fat/low sodium ingredients, but imho it won't taste like Pastitsio.

I add raisins, a tbl or so of tomato paste & cinnamon to the beef or lamb mixture, saute & drain the fat. Be careful, your sink will turn red. I would still stay with bechamel w/o the broth. The first Pastitsio I made, years ago, was made with a mayo sauce. Not bad, but the pasta stuck together a bit.

You could try Swanson's organic. (The numbers are lower.) But, I can't vouch for the taste.

Swanson Broth

[archiduc]

Surely a condensed chicken broth is nothing more than a reduced chicken broth? If home-made from a chicken carcass this could be flavoured, whilst cooking, with a peeled carrot cut into quarters, a peeled onion cut into quarters on the root and a finger of leek plus a bay leaf, a couple of peppercorns and a sliver of mace. For a brownish stock, brown the carcasse and vegetables in butter/oil prior to adding liquid - water and for a white stock just put everything straight into the pan. Cover all the vegetables and carcasse with water at a rate of 2-3 pints for 1 chicken carcasse - and cook at a simmering point, covered for 2 hours.

After 2 hours of cooking, strain all the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Following this one can reduce the stock further to a syrupy consistency to use as a "jus" or gravy, or cool and freeze for further use in soups, stews, fricassées etc.

Season with salt and pepper at the end of cooking.

The same principle applies to meat bones from beef, lamb, venison, pork or wild boar etc., cook, after browning or roasting, once water, vegetables and seasonings have been added for 4/5 hours. Do not add salt whilst making the stock as boiling/reduction increases the salt content.

A fish stock made from whole, small fish, fish heads, bones etc., should not be browned before any liquid or additional flavourings are added and should not be simmered for more than 25 minutes before being strained and then reduced by placing in a clean pan.

Hope this helps,
Archiduc

[Michael in FtW]

Originally Posted by gem4077

I am making Pastitsio for the first time. The condensed broth is added to the Bechemel sauce...

I've made pastitsio many time over the past 20 or so years and have never added broth/stock to the bechemel sauce. In fact - I have 6 recipes from 4 Greek church ladies cooking groups cookbooks, and one from The Frugal Gourmet, and none of them call for broth/stock.

The only reason I can see for the condensed broth would be if the recipe is attempting to reduce/eliminate the cheese or the milk and substitute the broth for a flavoring. But, without knowing the recipe - it's kind of hard to judge why it is being used.

Generally, a canned condensed broth is going to be double-strength, add an equal amount of water and you get a regular-strength broth. There are several thing you can use ... bullion cubes/crystals, regular canned broth, or something called "base". What you would do to use any of them to achieve the same results would depend on the recipe.

Originally Posted by gem4077

I looked for it at Stop & Shop yesterday, but they didn't have it.

I don't know about the Stop & Shop where you live - but around here it is just a drive-in convenience store that doesn't carry very much of anything. They are like an early 1960's era 7-11 without the tv/radio tube tester.

Glad you found another recipe that makes a little more sense!

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by Michael in FtW

...I don't know about the Stop & Shop where you live - but around here it is just a drive-in convenience store that doesn't carry very much of anything. They are like an early 1960's era 7-11 without the tv/radio tube tester...

Stop & Shop in the Northeast is a major supermarket chain. Full service with pharmacy, produce, butchers etc. They are owned by a Dutch Company.

[gem4077]

Originally Posted by Michael in FtW

I've made pastitsio many time over the past 20 or so years and have never added broth/stock to the bechemel sauce. In fact - I have 6 recipes from 4 Greek church ladies cooking groups cookbooks, and one from The Frugal Gourmet, and none of them call for broth/stock.

The only reason I can see for the condensed broth would be if the recipe is attempting to reduce/eliminate the cheese or the milk and substitute the broth for a flavoring. But, without knowing the recipe - it's kind of hard to judge why it is being used.

Generally, a canned condensed broth is going to be double-strength, add an equal amount of water and you get a regular-strength broth. There are several thing you can use ... bullion cubes/crystals, regular canned broth, or something called "base". What you would do to use any of them to achieve the same results would depend on the recipe.



I don't know about the Stop & Shop where you live - but around here it is just a drive-in convenience store that doesn't carry very much of anything. They are like an early 1960's era 7-11 without the tv/radio tube tester.

Glad you found another recipe that makes a little more sense!

I don't know why this particular recipe called for the condensed broth. Like I said, the other recipes I found in my Romanian cookbook didn't list it as an ingredient. But thank you for all your suggestions. What I ended up doing is taking two packets of low-salt chicken broth and adding about 10 ounces hot water. I probably could have omitted the broth all together, but it came out really good. It had a nice taste to it. My parents really liked it. Their only suggestion was to add more meat to the meat layer. I have to admit that I agree with that suggestion.